This invention relates to modular electronic equipment packaging, and more particularly to insertion, extraction, and carrying handles for use therewith.
As more and more segments of the business environment enter the information age, more and more computers and computing power are required. As businesses move from the old to the new economy their reliance on the processing, transference, and storage of digital information is becoming a more and more critical aspect of their overall business strategy. While in the past, computer crashes were seen as a mere nuisance, the loss of computing power and business data may well devastate a business""s ability to survive in today""s new economy. As such, the need for reliable, uninterruptible electric power to maintain the operational status of the computing equipment and the integrity of the digital data continues to rise.
To meet these requirements, uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) have been developed. These UPSs utilize a bank of electric storage batteries and solid state conversion and charging equipment to provide continuous electric power to a business""s computer systems in the event of a loss of power from the utility or a deviation from the normal regulated utility specifications. The number of batteries contained within an UPS is dependent upon the business""s length of time and its needs to operate in the event of a utility power system failure. Further, the number of power inverters required to supply the total load demand of a business also controls the size and number of inverters necessary in the UPS. The number of battery chargers is also somewhat dependent on these factors and the business""s requirement for the speed at which discharged batteries are required to come back online.
Since each of these parameters are dependent upon the particular makeup, structure, and operational requirements of different businesses, the provision of any single UPS configuration will likely only completely meet the needs of a small segment of the overall business environment. As such, modular uninterruptible power supplies have been developed that allow, to some extent, the reconfigurability of an UPS based upon the actual requirements of any particular business. For businesses that have only a small power output requirement but with a corresponding long duration need, their modular UPS may be configured with multiple battery banks and only a single inverter. Another business may have a larger power draw requirement necessitating the inclusion of multiple inverters.
Indeed, the particular requirements of any single business may change depending on the nature of their business. For example, while a business may have a short term high power requirement of its UPS, business operating procedures may dictate that non-essential computing equipment be taken offline as it appears that a power failure may last an extended period of time. In such a situation, additional power inverters required during the short term power losses may then be replaced with additional battery banks to provide a long term power supply to critical computing equipment during the power outage event.
While it is nearly impossible to anticipate all of the various needs and operating conditions of all of the business enterprises engaged in computing activities, it is possible to provide rapidly reconfigurable modular UPSs that allow the flexibility for a business to achieve its goals, even when these goals change during a particular event. Prior modular UPSs were typically constructed from a plurality of plug-in modular components contained in a rack-mount housing. Unfortunately, while the insertion of these modular components was fairly easily accomplished by pushing on their front face once started in their rack position, the extraction and transportation of these components was not so easily accomplished.
To aid in the extraction and transportation of these components, handles were installed on the front face surface thereof. This would allow a technician to pull the unit out of its rack mount position and carry the component to its offline storage location. Unfortunately, these handles were typically rigid mounted metallic handles that were bolted to the front of the components. These handles added to the cost of the components and to their assembly time. Further, since these handles needed to allow for a technician to grip them and carry the modular unit, they needed to be spaced from the front surface. As may well be imagined by one skilled in the art, this increased the overall outer dimension of the UPS. While fold-down handles could reduce the overall external profile, it is also a requirement that the handles be able to support the weight of these components. This requires that the size of these handles be increased and secured to the chassis of the modular components in such a manner so as to accommodate this requirement. Unfortunately, these requirements tend to increase the material and labor costs associated therewith to a point that is detrimental to the competitive position of such units.
Therefore, there exists a need in the art for a handle for a modular electronic component that overcomes these and other known problems existing in the art.
An embodiment of the invention provides a multi-function handle for modular electronics that requires no external hardware for attachment to and retaining on the modular electronic housing. The construction of the handle may advantageously utilize injection molding materials as its overall configuration provides adequate support and rigidity to allow it to be utilized for the insertion, extraction, and carrying of the modular electronic unit to which it is attached. The handle cooperates with the housing of the modular electronics in such a fashion so as to allow the handle to be extended for carrying, and folded to reduce the overall outer dimension required by the modular unit.
For modular units that require a force to mate or unmate the connectors on the rear of the unit, the multi-function handle of the invention includes a mechanism to provide mechanical advantage to reduce the force required by the installer to properly mate and unmate the connector. A separate mechanism is also included to preclude operation of the modular unit unless and until the unit is fully seated in its mount. Further, an embodiment of the handle of the invention provides a mechanism to retain the modular electronics in its rack mounted position until a user removes it. An additional securing mechanism may also be provided to inhibit the handle from inadvertently extending from its folded position until such is desired by a user.
In a preferred embodiment the multi-function handle provides a comfortable grip for carrying the modular electronics. The coupling of the handle to the electronics is preferably accommodated by a central mounting yoke integrally formed with the handle. This mounting yoke preferably includes an integrally formed pivot axle and a secondary follower axle that accommodate a concave pivot surface of the front panel of the modular electronics. This allows the handle to rotate from a stowed to a deployed position.
To provide for added stability and allow the handle to utilize injection molded materials for its construction, the handle preferably includes two outrigging mounting and support legs that are accommodated by and communicate with slots on the front surface panel of the modular electronics. Preferably, these slots include a concave and a convex surface that accommodates the insertion of the outrigging mounting and support legs by their inward flexure, and provides a support surface that allows rotation of the handle and that provides mechanical support therebetween. Once inserted, the legs preferably prevent the handle""s rotation beyond a perpendicular position relative to the front surface of the modular electronics, thereby precluding the handles inadvertent removal.
The handle preferably also communicates with the front surface of the modular electronics to provide a stowage locking mechanism for the handle in its stowed position. Further, an aperture in the front of the modular electronics"" housing also accommodates the insertion of a switch actuation mechanism that provides a signal indication to the modular electronics that the handle is in its stowed position, typically signifying that the module is fully seated.
In addition to coordinating with the modular electronics housing itself, the multi-function handle also provides functional relationships with the mounting rack itself. Specifically, a preferred embodiment of the multi-function handle includes insertion claws. These insertion claws cooperate with the mounting rack to provide a mechanical advantage as the handle is rotated from its extended to stowed position to reduce the amount of force required by the technician to fully install the modular electronics into the rack. This mechanism also prevents the inadvertent removal of the modular electronics as it seats behind a surface of the rack thereby inhibiting removal of the modular electronics unless and until the handle is moved from its stowed position to its extended position.
The handle also preferably includes an extraction 80 mechanism. This extraction mechanism 80 cooperates with the mounting rack as the handle is being moved from its stowed to its extended position, aiding in the extraction of the module thereby. The handle preferably further cooperates with the mounting rack by providing a locking mechanism to further secure the modular electronics in place once the handle is moved to its stowed position. To disengage this locking mechanism, a preferred embodiment requires a user to actuate the mechanism prior to allowing the handle to be moved from its stowed to its extended position.
Other object and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.